Cigarette-former.



F. G. COOPER.

CIGARETTE FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

1,969,921 Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3; i /gg FREDERICK C. COOPER, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

CIGARETTE-FORMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK OORBIER COOPER, of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Formers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cigarette formers, and one object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described adapted to be attached to an ordinary tobacco bag, to enable individual smokers to easily and rapidly manufacture their own cigarettes without any possibility of loss or waste of tobacco.

Another object of my invention is to construct a device of the class described which can be almost entirely housed within the bag of tobacco, when not in use, thereby enabling the device to be carried around with the bag without appreciably increasing the bulk thereof.

A still further object of my invention is to simplify the construction, and so reduce cost of manufacture, of this class of article, so that the same may be retailed at a price considerably lower than that at which similar devices can be marketed.

My cigarette former is designed to be used in connection with tobacco bags containing tobacco in flake or granular form, although I do not necessarily confine myself to using my device with this class of tobacco.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cigarette former, showing the same unattached. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through a tobacco bag, and through portion of my cigarette former, showing the same attached to the bag and in position to be used to form a cigarette, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the form from which the tube is manufactured according to my preferred form of construction.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is a tubular sleeve preferably integrally provided at its inner end with a laterally extending flange B. Also preferably integrally formed with the sleeve A is another laterally extending flange C which is spaced apart from the flange B so as to form an annular groove D. The mouth of the bag is opened and the sleeve A carrying the tube E, is inserted within said mouth and positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2 so that the edge F of said mouth will be retained by the draw-strings Gr snugly within the annular groove D. The tube E is integrally provided with a pair of stirrers H preferably stamped from the form I after the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. When the tube E is shaped from the form I, the said stirrers are formed into the shape illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and if desired, the free ends 71 thereof may be soldered or otherwise secured to the said tube. The said stirrers H have a transverse diameter greater than the transverse diameter of the sleeve A, and although the tube E is constructed to freely move within the sleeve A at the will of the operator, still the said stirrers H. prevent the withdrawal of the said tube E, in one direction, through the sleeve A.

J is any suitable cap provided with an ear K to which the free ends of the draw-strings Gr are attached. The cap J will cover the outer end of the tube E when the device is not in use.

As before described, the tube E will be housed within the bag L, when not in use. Now in orderto make a cigarette with the device, the bag is removed from the pocket, and the tube E pulled out as far as it can go and then the cap J is removed. The operator then places the cigarette paper around the exposed length of the tube E, and after securing the gummed edge of the paper in place, and folding inward the surplus paper at the outer end thereof, as shown at M, the paper envelop N is formed. The bag is then inverted into position illustrated in Fig. 2 with the tube E occupying the position shown, and while the said bag is held in one hand, the said envelop N is gradually withdrawn from the tube E. To facilitate the passage of tobacco into the said tube, the said tube is gradually moved around its longitudinal axis between a thumb and finger, and as the stirrers H are spaced apart as shown, the tobacco is caused to readily pass by gravity between the said stirrers into said tube. As the filling envelop is being withdrawn the outer end of the tube E can be used as a tamp to pack the tobacco into said envelop. lVhen the envelop N is filled of course the manufacture of the cigarette is completed. When the said envelop is about filled, the opera-,

tor gradually cuts off the supply ,of tobacco after any suitable manner by manipulating the bag L and tube E. Upon the completion of the cigarette the operator of course places the cap J on the tube E to prevent escape of tobacco, and this is done preferably when the said tube is in a horizontal position. By grasping the tube E between the thumb and the first finger of one hand, and gradually moving it around its longitudinal axis, the same can be passed into the bag L, as before described.

From actual use I find that I can cause almost every particle of tobacco to pass out of the bag L through the tube E, and I find my device to be equally useful when a bag is full as when a bag is almost empty.

The form of my device illustrated consists of three separate parts: the sleeve A; the tube E and the cap J, and it will be understood by one skilled in this art that the said tube is passed into the said sleeve A before the mouth of the bag is tied in the annular groove D.

The stirrers H, or equivalent means, prevent the packing of the tobacco at or in the inner end of the tube E, and therefore an ample supply of tobacco will always be had within the said tube by the operator occasionally turning the same around its longitudinal axis. The said stirrers H are quite narrow and therefore there is ample space laterally between the said stirrers to permit the necessary volume of tobacco to pass into said tube.

As before described, the tube E is preferably formed from the rectangular piece of stock illustrated in Fig. 3 and with this stock is integrally-formed strips or tongues of metal which comprises the stirrers H. The said stirrers, after the tube E is formed, are bent one over the other so as to have the bow-shaped form illustrated.

I do not confine myself to the construction illustrated, because it is evident that various changes in detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Although I state in my specification that I prefer to form the tube E out of the form I, still it will be understood by one skilled in this art that I may purchase the said tube in suitable lengths and secure thereto the stirrers or equivalent means H.

IVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A cigarette former comprising a tubular sleeve, designed to be retained in the mouth of a suitable receptacle; a freely-rotatable single-piece tube mounted to have longitudinal movement for its whole length within said sleeve, and stirrers, spaced apart carried by the inner end of said tube, and pro jecting laterally and longitudinally beyond the same, and moved therewith, and designed to contact with the inner end of said sleeve to prevent the withdrawal of said tube therethrough.

2. A cigarette former comprising a tubular sleeve, designed to be retained in the mouth of a suitable receptacle; a freely-rotatable single-piece tube mounted to have longitudinal movement for its whole length within said sleeve; stirrers, spaced apart carried by the inner end of said tube, and projecting laterally and longitudinally beyond the same, and moved therewith, and designed to contact with the inner end of said sleeve to prevent the withdrawal of said tube therethrough, and a cap closing the outer end of said tube.

3. The combination with a tobacco bag, and the draw strings thereof, of a cigarette former comprising a tubular sleeve around which said draw strings are tied to support the same in the mouth of said bag; a freelyrotatable single-piece tube mounted within said sleeve and designed to have longitudinal movement for its whole length therein; stirrers, spaced apart carried by the inner end of said tube and projecting laterally and longitudinally beyond the same and moved therewith, whereby tobacco is loosened to cause it to pass by gravity down into said tube; the said stirrers designed to cont-act with the inner end of said sleeve to prevent the withdrawal of said tube therethrough, and a cap carried by said draw strings and designed to fit over the outer end of said tube.

4. The combination with a tobacco bag, and the draw strings thereof, of a cigarette former comprising a tubular sleeve integrally provided with two outer laterally-extending flanges spaced apart to form an annular groove in which the said draw strings are tied so as to secure said sleeve in the mouth of said bag; a freely-rotatable single-piece tube mounted within said sleeve and designed to have longitudinal movement for its whole length therein; stirrers, spaced apart carried by the inner end of said tube and projecting laterally and longitudinally beyond the same and moved therewith, whereby tobacco is loosened to cause it to pass by gravity down into said tube; the said stirrers designed to contact with the inner end of said sleeve to prevent the withdrawal of said tube therethrough, and a cap carried by said draw strings and designed to fit over the outer end of said tube.

5. The combination with a tobacco bag, and the draw-strings thereof, of a cigarette former comprising a tubular sleeve integrally provided with two laterally extending flanges spaced apart to form an annular groove in which said draw-strings are tied so as to secure said sleeve to said bag; a tube carried by Said leeve and designed to be said draw-strings for closing the outer end of said tube.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

FREDERICK C. COOPER. Witnesses:

DOROTHY KING, S. C. T. TEACHER.

moved therein; the said tube being stamped l from a flat rectangular form and integrally provided at one end with tWo strips of metal spaced apart, the said strips of metal being bent bow-shaped one over the other, and the free ends of said strips of metal being secured to the said form after the said tube is formed therefrom; and a cap carried by Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

